Primary battery.



E. M. DEEMS. v

PRIMARY BATTERY.

APPLlcATloN man nmz. 191'4. nEHEwED APR. s, 191s.

6,1916. E EET 2.'

Patented .I1-111e 2 SHEETSSH EDWARD M. DEEMS, OIE lEAST ORANGE, NEW JERSEY.

PRIMARY BATTERY.

specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 6, 1916.

Application led December 2, 1914, Serial No. 875,093. Renewed April 6, 1916. Serial No. 89,472.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWARD M. DnnMs, a citizen of the United States, and resident of the city of East Orange, county of Essex, State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Primary Batteries, of which the following is a specification. v

One of the main objects of this invention is to construct the various parts that go to make up a primary battery in such form and arranging them in such relation that greater efliciency is obtained.

Another object of the invention is to so construct the parts 0f a primary battery that the said parts may be very conveniently assembled; and may be very readily recharged.

A further object of the invention is to provide a supporting means for the elements of t-he battery, which will maintain said elements insulated from each other and out of contact with the containing jar.

There are other objects and-advantages of the invention, relating more particularly to the construction and karrangements of the battery elements and the supports therefor, all of which will be more fully hereinafter described.

In the drawings Figure l is a vertical sectional view of the battery complete; Fig. 2 a plan view thereof; and Fig. 3 a detail vert-ical sectional view of a portion of the battery element support showing a slightly different form of a negative element.

Referring to the various parts by numerals, 1 designates the circular base of the insulating support for the battery elements. This support is formed with radiating arms 2. On the outer ends of these arms are formed upwardly extending lugs 3. Depending from these arms are supporting legs 4, which are adapted to rest upon the bottom of'the battery jar 5. From the center of the circular base a tubular post 6 eX- tends, said post being tapered near its upper end, as shown in Fig. 1. The battery elements support may be formed of any sintable material, but I prefer to form it of poicelain molded in one piece, and of suitable dimensions to render it strong enough to stand the rough uses to which devices of this kind are subjected. The central post 6 is of suitable diameter so that there is a comparatively narrow portion of the base 1 projecting beyond the outer surface of said post,

the base 1. The bottom of said basket rests on the base 1 and is connected thereto by means of bolts or rivets 8, which pass through the bottom of the basket and through the base l, said bolts being preferably of copper or iron. These bolts rigidly secure a conducting bar 9 to the under side of the base, and to the center of this bar is secured a vertical rod l0, said rod eX- tending upwardly through the post 6. To the upper end of this rod is secured the conducting wire l1. Within the perforated basket is secured the negative element 12, said element being any desired form of ilaked oxidized copper. The vertical wall of the perforated basket 7 is parallel with the vertical wall of the post 6 so that the space between said post and the interior of the surface of said basket is of uniform width. The result of this is that a tubular negative element in cylindrical form is provided, and said negative element is of uniform thickness or transverse dimensions at all point-s throughout its length. The bolts 8 form the meansby which the negative elementis connected to the conductor bar 9.

Resting on the arms 2, and fitting close .to the inner surfaces of the lugs 3, is the positive element 13. This element consists of a cylindrical tubular zinc of the desired height and thickness. To the upper end of the positive element is connected the conducting wire 14. The lugs 3 hold the zinc element in position against lateral displace-l ment and prevent said element from contacting with the battery jar or with the negative element.

To prevent a bridge of conducting matej rial being formed on the arms 2 between the positive and negative elements the upwardly projecting lugs 15 are formed on the said arms between the battery elements. These lugs are vertical on the face adjoining the Y Zinc element, but inclining inwardly and downwardly on the face adjoining the copper element. The object of this construction is to prevent any conducting material, such as disintegrated zinc or copper dust, settling on the arms 2 in such a manner as to form a conducting bridge between the battery elements. It is manifest that in view of the inner inclined face of these separating lugs, any disintegrated copper or copper dust contacting therewith will be directed inwardly and downwardly to the basket 7 and away from the zinc element. These separating lugs also serve as a means for holding the zinc element against lateral movement.

It is manifest that the supporting legs 4 may be of any desired length and of any desired number. It is also obvious that the conducting wire ll may be connected in any suitable manner to the negative element. It is preferred that the post G be of uniform external diameter throughout the proposed height of the column or cylinder of copper, in order that the negative element shall be of uniform thickness at all points throughout its length.

Instead of employing a perforated basket filled with flaked copper or the like, I may employ a cylindrical tubular copper element 13a as shown in Fig. 3, said tubular element being placed over the tubular post 6a and taking the place of the basket 7 and the laked copper l2 therein. In this form. of the negative element the perforated basket 7 may be dispensed with, and the conducting wire 11a may be connected directly thereto, the conducting bar and rod being dispensed with, as shown clearly in Fig. 3.

One of the great advantages of the construction described in the foregoing is that the battery element support is entirely free of the cover. Another advantage is that said support is in one piece, so that the battery elements and said support may be readily, and, as a whole, removed from the battery vWhile I prefer to provide the battery element support with legs, it is obvious that it may be supported in the jar .in any other suitable manner. I therefore wish it understood that I am not to be limited in this respect. The zinc element may be readily removed from its support; and when the insulating support is removed from the jar it may be inverted for the purpose of cleaning the perforated basket. The zinc element rests loosely on the support and may be removed readily therefrom. The basket and support may be removed as a whole from the battery jar and. inverted. When recharged it is only necessary to replace it in the j ar and then to place the zinc element in position on the arms 2. It is manifest, therefore, that the assembling of the parts and the cleaning and the recharging of the battery are extremely simple operations. It is also to be noted that by reason of the uniform cross sectional dimensions of the negative or copper element, the greatest eiiiciency of the said element will be secured and internal resistance therein is reduced to a minimum. The thickness of the wall of the tubular copper element is such that the greatest efiiciency will be obtained with the least possible loss through internal resistance.

Vhat I claim is:

l. A battery comprising an insulating support formed with a base and a central upwardly extending cylindrical post carried thereby, a tubular negative element surrounding said post and supported by the base, a positive element surrounding the negative element and supported by the base, the lower ends of the two battery elements being in the same horizontal plane and said elements being of substantially the same height, whereby the effective portions of said battery elements will be directly opposite each other throughout their eective length and the internal resistance of the battery will be reduced to a minimum.

2. A battery consisting of an insulating support formed with a central upwardly extending cylindrical post, a cylindrical tubular negative element surrounding said post and supported by the base, a tubular positive element surrounding the negative element and supported by the base said element being larger in diameter than thc negative element, said two elements being supported in substantially the same horizontal plane whereby the active portions of said elements will be directly opposite eachother, mea-ns carried by the base to hold the two elements a fixed distance from each other, and means carried by the base extending upwardly and outwardly beyond the positive element to prevent the said element contacting with the inclosing jar.

3. A battery comprising an insulating support formed with a central circular base with radiating arms, posts extending upwardly from the outer ends of said arms and supporting legs depending from the outer ends of said arms, an integral central upwardly extending tubular cylindrical post carried by the base, a perforated cylinder surrounding said post and resting on the base and formed with an inwardly extending base iiange adapted to rest on the base, the' said cylinder and the post forming a narrow annular channel adapted to contain the f negative element, a conducting rod extending through the tubular post, means for electrically connecting the lower end of said rod to the perforated cylinder, a cylindrical positive element surrounding the perforated cylinder and resting on the radial arms of the base, said elements being in substantially the same horizontal plane, and an upwardly extending lug on each of the radial arms between the positive and negative elements, each of said lugs inclining from its outer edge abruptly downwardly and inwardly toward the base, whereby a bridge of conduct-` ing material cannot be formed on the radial battery elements.

4. A battery comprising an insulating support formed with a central circular base with radiating arms, posts extending up,- wardly from the outer ends of said arms and supporting legs depending from the outer ends of said arms, an integral central upwardly extending tubular cylindrical post carried by the base, a tubular cylindrical negative element surrounding the central post and resting on the base, a cylindrical positive element surrounding the negative element and resting on the radial arms of the base, said elements being in substantially the same horizontal plane, and an upwardly extending lug on each of the radial arms between the positive and negative elements, said lugs inclining from their upper outer edges abruptly downwardly and inwardly toward the base.

5. A battery comprising an insulating support formed with a base with radiating arms, a cylindrical negative element carried by the base7 a tubular cylindrical positive element surrounding the negative element and resting on the radiating arms of the base, the two elements being in substantially the same horizontal plane, and an upwardly extending lug on each of the radial arms between the positive and negative elements, said lugs inclining from their upper edges abruptly downwardly to the base, the upper edges of said lugs being substantially parallel with the adjoining face of one of the elements, whereby a bridge of conducting material cannot be formed on the radial arms across the space between the two battery elements.

6. A battery comprising an insulating support formed with a central circular base with radiating arms, supporting legs depending from the outer ends of said arms, an integral central upwardly extending tubular cylindrical post carried by the base, a perforated cylinder surrounding said post and resting on the base and formed with an inwardly extending base ange adapted to rest on the base, the said cylinder and the post forming a narrow annular channel adapted to contain the negative element, a conducting rod extending through the tubular post, means for electrically connecting the lower end of said rod to the perforated cylinder, a cylindrical positive element surrounding the perforated cylinder and resting on the radial arms of the base, said elements being in substantially the same horizontal plane, and separating lugs on the radial arms between the positive and negative elements.

7. A support for battery elements formed vof insulating material and having a central circular base with radiating arms extending therefrom and in the same horizontal plane, posts extending upwardly from the outer ends of said arms, supporting legs depending from the outer ends of said arms, an integral central upwardly extending tubular cylindrical post carried by the base, and an upwardly extending lug on each of the radial arms, said lugs inclining from their upper outer edges abruptly downwardly and inwardly to the edge of the base.

In testimony whereof I hereunto afix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

EDWARD M. DEEMs. Witnesses F. R. MILLER, MINERVA VAN ALEN.

copie: e! this patent my be obtained for ive cents each, by addressing the Commissioner ef Patente v Washington, D. C. 

